Introduction

This is my first book with Rocky Nook. In fact, it’s my first book ever. So I need to make this introduction count. If you don’t believe me, check out my acknowledgments—I am milking this moment!

Many moons ago I found my first experience in computer design to be in desktop publishing, back in the day when it was still called that. I began my computer-aided design with Quark Xpress; you remember them? Anyway, DTP, as it was abbreviated back then, enabled me to make forms, small booklets, and stationery. Given that I used to use paper, scissors, and glue, it was a futuristic technological advancement to do this on a computer.

Time passed and I flirted with a few DTP software programs along the way—some were flings, others were longer-standing relationships—but once InDesign came along, my head was turned and my heart was stolen. This sounds dramatic, but this is my book and I said I was going to milk it!

InDesign came into our lives in 1999 and was the first real Mac OS–native DTP application. It took a couple of years before it was included as part of the Adobe Creative Suite. I was already a Photoshop and Illustrator user; hell, I even dabbled with Dreamweaver, but we all have our experimental phase when we are young!

I was hooked and InDesign became my favorite app to use, as I preferred designing brochures, flyers, and anything else that was needed in a marketing or corporate environment. That’s where I spent most of my working years. I learned from so many people, including Scott Kelby, Terry White, David Blatner, Anne-Marie Concepcion, and the ever-growing InDesign community. I went on to take my InDesign ACA with a UK-based Adobe training center called Certitec, where I learned so much more from Jon Bessant, my instructor.

I was a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), founded by Scott Kelby and based in Oldsmar, Florida. NAPP became KelbyOne, and I had a great conversation with Scott about there being more InDesign content available for anyone who was looking to make a start in InDesign and who was confident to click on that little Id icon in their menu bar. From this chat I was asked to teach video classes on InDesign, which then led to a regular InDesign magazine article published in Photoshop User magazine for a year, and then to teaching about InDesign at Photoshop World four times (2016–2019), alongside the very people from whom I had learned so much.

My enthusiasm for InDesign comes from enjoying the product and what you can make with it. The great thing about this software is that just when you think you know all you need to know, boom, a new tip or trick comes along and you wonder why you ever spent so much time going the long way around. I am not an expert, I don’t know every single thing it does—that’s the joy of using and learning a creative tool—but I do love sharing and evangelizing InDesign to anyone who has yet to use it.

That’s where this book comes from. Scott had written How Do I Do That In . . . Photoshop, . . . Lightroom, and . . . Lightroom Classic, three great titles from Rocky Nook. I nagged everyone that I would love for the series to be expanded and to have a similar style “recipe” book for InDesign. I was persistent. Very. But the outcome was less expected: Scott recommended I write it! Scott Cowlin and Ted Waitt agreed and for that I thank them! After the initial “Aaaaaaaaaargh,” I calmed down and thought “why not?” So armed with a brief and knowing the kind of book I wanted, I set about listing all the tips and tricks I wish I had known when I first started using InDesign.

This book is not the InDesign bible, it’s not comprehensive, it doesn’t cover every single thing in InDesign. It’s not meant to. Because if it did there wouldn’t be room for me to write the updated version . . . kidding! Or am I? Anyway, it’s a collection of tips and “how to” explanations to get you on the path to feeling comfortable using InDesign. I hope it helps you develop your path to becoming a more regular and better-equipped user of InDesign, and that you fall in love with the app. Not proper love—that would be silly—but close. ;)

Before You Start This Book

As I said in the first part of the intro (you read that, right?), this is not a fully comprehensive book of every single function and sub-function and sub-sub-function of InDesign. There’s already a great InDesign book in the Rocky Nook collection that is more comprehensive, called Adobe InDesign CC: A Complete Course and Compendium of Features (Rocky Nook, 2019).

This book isn’t that book! But I hope you are reading this because you purchased this book and that book. I want you to get the most out of this book by way of finding useful tips quickly. Think of it as a type of recipe book. “I want to make a Victoria Sponge to have with a nice cup of tea”—get out your recipe book, and there’s a single page telling you how to make a quick Victoria Sponge accompanied by a lovely photo of said sponge. You could also get a bigger book with a very convoluted recipe and double the ingredients. My book is to help you get to your delicious sponge much quicker. I am very hungry now and the kettle is on. I digress.

As per Scott’s previous books in this series, I have written this book as though I am sitting next to you, helping you find your way around. I am not getting too technical; I just explain where to find that tool or function and how to quickly apply it. Once we’ve got you there, you can further explore the settings and learn more about that function, setting, or technique. Once it’s in your mind, you’ve got it, but if you forget, you know where to come back to!

I have included screenshots to help you along the way. I want to thank all of my friends who contributed images to this book (see page vii for photo credits). Yes, there are photos of me, my mates, and my kids—you know you would include them too if it were your first-ever book. ;)

How This Book Works

This book is broken into chapters to help you get to the right category of tips (e.g., type tips, image tips, color tips, etc.). It’s not meant to be read in any kind of order. Just ask yourself “How do I . . .?” and head to the table of contents or the index to find the tool or tip name, and then go and read the info I have provided. Yes, there may be another way of doing it; that’s fine. I’m showing you the way I use or the first method I think of when asked about a particular function or technique.

It’s possible you’ll only pick up this book for five minutes, get to the technique, and then put it down again. I would love for you to use it lots, wear it out, and then buy a new one. If nothing else, it’ll help me pay to take my kids to Disney in a couple of years! But seriously, I want this book to assist you and become the buddy you’d normally call or text to ask, “how do I do this thing?”

If you haven’t met me, I try my best to be helpful and nice to be around. Not everyone will like my style of writing or the way I explain things, but it was the only way I could write this book. If there’s anything I have missed, and I’m sure there is, please write that tip down and share it with an InDesign-using friend or write it in the back of this book; there’s a blank page after the index.

If you read these last three pages, thank you. If I still sent Christmas cards, you’d be on my list! If you REALLY enjoy using this book, please leave a review on Amazon to help others. Obviously, I would love to see good reviews, and if I get a chance to update this title in two or three years, I will be sure to take in all feedback and suggestions. Unless they are rude, of course. Just remember, my mum will be reading them. My mum is lovely—don’t be mean and upset her. Now, she makes a lovely Victoria Sponge! And bread pudding! But she’s rubbish at InDesign. Sorry, Mum.

Thanks to Tony Harmer for his help with the InDesign fun facts.